Diver recovers captain's body from Patty AJ; vessel capsized March 23

by NBC 16

"Meet the Barkley family heroes. Thanks to these guys," Jerry Lee Barkley's sister-in-law Cindy Ann Coleman Barkley wrote on Facebook. "Jerry has made it the rest the way up the channel and is now going to be laid to rest in peace. We love you Jerry. Thank you god for all of our answered prayers." (Photo courtesy Cindy Ann Coleman Barkley)

COOS BAY, Ore. - A diver on Sunday recovered the body of the captain of a fishing boat that capsized March 23.

"Meet the Barkley family heros. Thanks to these guys," Jerry Lee Barkley's sister-in-law Cindy Ann Coleman Barkley wrote on Facebook. "Jerry has made it the rest the way up the channel and is now going to be laid to rest in peace. We love you Jerry. Thank you god for all of our answered prayers."

Barkley was filling in as captain on the Patty AJ when the boat capsized on the Coos Bay bar.

The other three fishermen aboard the vessel made it to shore OK, but Barkley was missing in the aftermath of the accident.

His body was later found inside the vessel a week later by a crew working to salvage the wreckage of the Patty AJ.

But safety concerns prevented the recovery of his body.

On Sunday, diver Micahel Smith, a friend of Barkley, worked with the captain's family to recover Barkley's body from the wreckage.

Recovery efforts for the Patty AJ are ongoing, the Coos County Sheriff's Office said. The investigation into the capsizing remains open.